She nods, slowly. “Okay.”
“I don’t want to talk about what happened,” I add, my voice sharper than I mean it to be. “Not yet. Maybe not ever. But… just know that it’s real. And they had no right to invade my privacy like that.”
Dakota’s eyes glisten a little, and she nods again, more firmly this time.
“They’re disgusting,” she says. “All of them. What they did… it’s not just bullying. It’s evil.”
I blink hard, jaw tight. “Yeah.”
She reaches over and puts a hand on mine, just a light touch. “You don’t have to tell me anything, Iz. Just… don’t shut me out again. Please.”
“I’ll try,” I whisper. “I’m just figuring out how to be again.”
“I’ll help you,” Dakota says, her voice quiet.
And for a few minutes, we just sit there—no jokes, no jabs, no pretending. Just quiet understanding in the space between us.
Suddenly, she lights up like a sparkler and shoots upright. “Wait! Has anyone told you about the Halloween dance?”
I blink. “The what?”
“Oh my god, Isobel. You seriously don’t know?”
I shake my head, and she gasps. “Okay. Blackmoore throws a huge Halloween masquerade every year—like, over-the-top decorations, dramatic lighting, illusions, maybe a DJ, maybe a string quartet depending on the mood. It’s the one time the school pretends we’re normal kids.”
I arch a brow. “Sounds… dramatic.”
“Exactly!” Dakota grins. “And this year’s theme is Masquerade of Monsters. Think gothic, think eerie glam, think big. Everyone dresses up.”
I sip my coffee. “That sounds cool.”
“You’re definitely coming with me. I don’t care if I have to drag you in bedsheets and call you a ghost.”
A quiet laugh escapes despite myself. “I don’t even have a costume.”
She waves that off. “That’s what shoppingis for.”
I tilt my head, watching her. “Why do you care if I go?”
Dakota pauses, then offers a soft shrug. “Because you deserve to have one night that doesn’t suck. Because I’m your sister and I want to show you a good time.”
That makes my lips twitch. “You’re not subtle.”
“Wasn’t trying to be.” She winks. “So? Say yes?”
I hesitate. The idea of going to a school-wide event with everyone staring at me makes my stomach flip. But for once… I don’t want to be the ghost in the corner.
“Fine,” I mutter.
Dakota whoops and throws the pillow at me.
I hadn’t realizedhow much I needed to get off campus until Dakota and I are driving through the wrought-iron gates of Blackmoore and into the crisp weekend air. Lucian insisted on the sleek black town car. The cobbled road curves away from the academy like a secret path, lined with old stone walls and the occasional enchanted lantern that flickers despite the daylight.
I take a deep breath and close my eyes for a moment. This week has been a blur. Between normal classes, and the homework and studying that goes with that, I also had training and the Guild classes that I needed to stay on top of. I also visited Luca, who is doing better. Noah and Tex have been friendlier when I’ve seen them in classes or in passing, but Jace is definitely back to shooting glares and ice looks my way.
Dakota practically bounces beside me, her cropped jacket flaring with every step. “You’re going to love the boutique I found,” she chirps. “It’s goth-chic with just the right amount of spooky. Total masquerade dream.”
I tug the sleeves of my hoodie over my fingers. “You’ve put way more thought into this than I have.”
